Deep within the Xilin Mountain Range, at this very moment, two forces are vying for dominance.
One side consisted of humans, divided into four groups, all standing in the void, gazing at the four people on the opposite mountain peak.
The other force consisted of the four figures currently opposite this group, along with countless magical beasts surrounding them in a pincer movement. They had the group of humans in the center, and a terrifying aura of pressure permeated the air. The atmosphere was unusually tense, and it seemed as if a fight could break out at any moment.
But at this moment, the leaders of the human group all looked past the four people opposite them and gazed at the more distant southern horizon.
The sky at the edge of their vision was a sheet of white paper, seemingly no different from any other. But what was strange was that just now, the leaders of these four families clearly heard a thunderous sound coming from that direction. Moreover, it wasn't just them who heard the sound; even the family members behind them heard it clearly.
"That thunder was..."
"Is someone refining elixirs?"
Among the crowd, someone couldn't help but voice a question in a doubtful tone.
Upon hearing this, the four groups immediately stirred. They were well aware of the significance of this operation; the reason so many powerful members of their families had been mobilized was ultimately for one person.
Xiao Yan!
As far as they knew, the latter was an alchemist, and a Third-Tier Alchemist of considerable rank.
If the thunder just now was caused by the elixir, then the lightning must have been Pill Lightning.
"Is that Pill Lightning? Could it be that guy refining pills?"
"Hehehe... Isn't this a golden opportunity? Now that the Pill Lightning has appeared, Xiao Yan will inevitably be restrained by Pill Lightning. As long as we seize the opportunity to attack, we can easily take him down. Isn't that wonderful!"
"No... I'm afraid it's not Pill Lightning..."
Zhuo Lin smiled slightly, lowering his raised hand. Simultaneously, he stored the floating cultivation scrolls in his Storage Ring. A cold killing intent flashed in his eyes as he said:
"If I'm not mistaken, this lightning is far more terrifying than ordinary Pill Lightning..."
" Emperor Tribulation!"
Upon hearing Zhuo Lin's words, the expressions of the other three team leaders changed drastically. Their faces were filled with shock, and they found it unbelievable, even hard to believe.
" Emperor Tribulation! How is this possible?!"
"Yes, it's only been five short years, how could he possibly have attracted Emperor Tribulation!"
The leaders of the Four Great Clans all knew that although Xiao Yan was incredibly powerful five years ago, he was still only a Half-Emperor, a Six-Star Half-Emperor. How could his strength have advanced so rapidly in just five years, reaching the Dou Di level in the blink of an eye?!
Emperor Tribulation – this is the symbol of Dou Di powerhouse, proof that one has one foot in the ranks of true powerhouses!
But how could Xiao Yan possibly invite the Emperor Tribulation!
"I don't care whether this is true or false, I just want you to understand that he's currently overwhelmed, and now is the best time to deal with him!"
Zhuo Lin's smile gradually turned sinister. He was going to pay back all the pain that Xiao Yan had caused him, with interest!
The stronger Xiao Yan becomes, the more he wants to step on Xiao Yan to rise to power. As long as Xiao Yan can become his stepping stone, then no one in the Western Region will be able to compete with him for the position of overlord in the future!
"Heh heh, Young Zhuo Lin, you make it sound so easy. Even if now is the best time to deal with Xiao Yan, can't you see that these little brats, once they fight with their lives on the line, aren't so easy to deal with."
The Huo Clan member who had spoken earlier gave a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding magical beasts as he sneered.
"So, you stay here and hold them off, I'll go and bring Xiao Yan back."
After saying this casually, Zhuo Lin was about to leave when the Four-Star Dou Di expert from the Huo Clan also moved and arrived in front of Zhuo Lin.
"Does Young Zhuo Lin really intend to bypass the three of us and monopolize the treasure in Xiao Yan's hands?"
Zhuo Lin's face darkened, his eyes glaring at the middle-aged man before him, and he said in a deep voice:
"So what do you want?"
"Either we go together, or we join forces to deal with these beasts first. That would be fair to everyone."
Upon hearing this, the Bai Clan and Sun Clan families also turned their gazes towards them, their expressions suggesting some displeasure.
Although the Four Great Clans were not on friendly terms to begin with, they had no choice but to join forces in the face of a major crisis. Even if they had to break off relations, they would have to do so after capturing Xiao Yan.
Left with no other choice, Zhuo Lin could only nod resentfully and say in a deep voice:
"Then you take care of these beasts first."
After speaking, Zhuo Lin's gaze suddenly shifted, instantly landing on the four members of the Tian Ying group opposite him. With a thought, the powerful Dou Qi within his body surged rapidly at that moment.
They were just a few One-Star Dou Di, with the strongest being Tian Ying, who was only at the Early-Stage Two-Star Dou Di. He didn't take such a lineup seriously at all. If it weren't for the guy next to him intentionally holding him back, he would have already gone to find Xiao Yan and might have subdued him.
"Attack! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
With a cold, commanding shout, the Zhuo Clan members behind him immediately unleashed their Dou Qi, shooting out in streaks of light that clashed violently with the countless demonic beasts around them.
As the great battle began, the other three families, at the leader's command, set off to charge towards the demonic beasts. Meanwhile, the few Dou Di in the group turned their attention to the four members of the Tian Ying Clan.
"Hmph, your turn!"
In the void, Zhuo Lin turned his gaze to Tian Ying and the others opposite him. With a thought, a huge amount of Dou Qi rapidly condensed in the void around him, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into four sharp longswords.
The sword, gleaming with a cold light, was aimed directly at the four members of the Tian Ying opposite them. The moment they sensed the cold light coming from the sword, a deep sense of solemnity quickly appeared on their faces.
The war has just begun, and now, even if they wanted to avoid it, they couldn't.
"Puff!"
With a flick of his sleeve, Tian Ying unleashed a burst of dense azure Dou Qi from his palm. Since reaching the Dou Di level, he had never fought anyone before, but today he could finally put his skills to good use.
"Haha, since we're going to have to fight sooner or later anyway, let's not hesitate any longer and go for it! Let's not waste the strength we've gained!"
"Drink!"
Tian Ying laughed loudly, determined that no matter what, they would not allow this group of people to disturb Xiao Yan!
As Tian Ying finished speaking, the other three people beside him also trembled. Powerful Dou Qi surged from their bodies, transforming into three beams of Dou Qi qi that shot straight into the sky with overwhelming momentum. Immediately afterwards, four pairs of eyes fell on Zhuo Lin, their eyes flashing with cold light and filled with murderous intent.